Agri-news

Reading Time: 2 minutes Most of Alberta’s acid soils occur in the grey wooded soil zone. This is a result of hundreds of years of acidic organic material from the leaves of deciduous trees, needles from coniferous trees and other acidic organic material being added to the surface of soil. Most of Alberta’s soils that have developed under forest […] Read more

Reading Time: 5 minutes Vegetation protects soil from wind erosion by reducing the wind speed at the soil surface,” says Dr. Ross McKenzie, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Lethbridge. “Vegetative cover, such as a growing crop, standing stubble or crop residues are very effective in helping moderate the potential of wind erosion. The elimination of cultivation […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Agriculture conducts a survey every year on crop rental rates. The preliminary 2008 survey came out in December. The report covers many of the municipalities in the province, however not all counties or municipal districts responded. The 2008 survey indicated an increase of approximately 10 per cent in the 2008 rental rates over the […] Read more

Reading Time: < 1 minute Nine years of agri-environmental policy milestones, progress and partnerships are chronicled in a new report produced by the Agriculture and Food Council of Alberta’s Environmental Policy Initiatives Project (EPIP). The report gives a perspective of Alberta’s agri-environmental policy status of accomplishments, goals and gaps, and it also outlines possible next steps. “This report is a […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Ag-Info Centre in Stettler is receiving more phone calls this year about field pea production than in recent years. Due to clubroot concerns, canola growers are widening their crop rotation with a pulse crop. “It is important to select a pea variety that has an erect stand-ability for ease of harvesting,” says Neil Whatley, […] Read more

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Agricultural Processing Industry Employment Program provides funding for processors to hire post-secondary students over the months of May through August, 2009. Employers will be reimbursed for one-third of the employee’s salary to a maximum of $500 per month. Employment should provide career-related experience and skill training for the student, and must be full-time for […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes While Fusarium graminearum is starting to establish itself in some areas of southern Alberta, it is not commonly found in the rest of Alberta. “Fusarium graminearum is mainly a problem where highly susceptible durum and soft white wheat are grown under irrigation,” says Dr. Kelly Turkington, researcher, Agriculture Canada, Lacombe. “It’s much less common in […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta Farm Safety Program is an awareness and prevention program with a mission to motivate farm owners, their families and farm employees to work and play safe on Alberta farms. The program works with rural communities, industry and media to promote farm safety events, provide information and safety resources and to develop and deliver […] Read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Risk management can be approached in two distinct ways: by using numbers (quantitative) or by using words (qualitative), says Jeff Millang, livestock economist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Olds. The “numbers” method of measuring and managing risk is both common and well understood. Examples of quantitative risk management tools that Alberta Agriculture has available […] Read more